Week In Review: November 13

·House Democrats block budget
compromise, put politics above solutions. For months, the Democratic
opposition to change in Springfield has called for “reasonable” discussions and
compromise regarding the budget impasse.

It’s clear by their actions this week, with a compromise very much
on the table, that majority Democrats in the House have absolutely no intention
of compromising and would rather put partisan politics above budget solutions.

The Illinois Democrats who have perpetuated this budget impasse
are making promises they can’t deliver. They don’t have the votes to increase
taxes, so instead of negotiation and compromise, they’ve again created a
spectacle in Springfield. They’ve indignantly demanded we pass a budget we
can’t afford and have not once offered a way to pay for it.

Without a budget to restrain out-of-control spending, the State’s
financial spigot is wide open. A series of judicial actions accompanied by a
reckless, piecemeal approach to appropriations has forced spending at levels
higher than we’ve ever seen. When projected out over a year, Illinois is on
pace to spend $37 billion, over a billion more than last year and nearly $5
billion more that we are projected to take in.

Illinois needs real reforms along with a truly balanced budget,
one that sets our priorities and provides for our most vulnerable citizens,
while responsibly spending our tax dollars.

Governor agrees to compromise on child
care eligibility, while Democrat action fails. A spokesperson for Governor Rauner issued a statement on Monday, November 9 describing the
move: “As a result of bipartisan
discussions with legislators concerning the future of the Child Care Assistance
Program, the Rauner administration today plans to amend the emergency rule it
filed at the beginning of the fiscal year. Under the amended rule, income
eligibility will rise to 162% of the federal poverty level while current
co-pays will remain intact. Other eligibility and restrictions will also be
lifted pending further review and legislative consultation. Additionally, the
governor's office will establish a bipartisan, bicameral task force aimed at
ensuring the long-term stability of the program.”

After
legislators in both parties urged Governor Rauner to compromise, the Governor
acted in good faith to restore eligibility for the overwhelming majority of
families receiving child care assistance. Compromise language supported by the
Governor brings CCAP eligibility up to 162% of the federal poverty level (FPL),
which is higher than most of Illinois’ neighboring states. This is a reasonable
compromise that protects child care for the working poor, while at the same
time holding the line on spending.

House
Democrats responded by thumbing their noses at the compromise and forging ahead
with a vote on SB 570, legislation to keep CCAP eligibility
at 185% of FPL. Despite bipartisan efforts to achieve a reasonable compromise,
Democrats refused to back down and their legislation ultimately failed on a
vote of 70-35-4 (71-vote supermajority required for passage).

Democrats subsequently passed legislation that would return the
DON score threshold to the original number of 29. Last week, Governor Rauner
issued an amendatory veto of that bill and explained that while
well-intentioned, HB 2482 would lock into statute a provision
that would allow qualifying individuals to be eligible for both institutional
and home and community-based care services, thus driving up costs and
eliminating the possibility of cost efficiencies.

This week, the Rauner administration announced that it will not be
increasing the DON score used to determine eligibility for long-term care.
Instead, the State will use the existing DON score of 29 to ensure Illinois’
elderly and most vulnerable citizens receive appropriate care.

In spite of this compromise, Democrats brought the bill to the
House floor on November 10 for an override vote. Once again, the Democrats’
move against a negotiated solution failed on a vote of 70-38-1.

·Motor fuel tax legislation passes, but
Madigan puts a hold on it. With Illinois now in the fifth month
of Fiscal Year 2016 without an approved budget in place, many important
appropriations have been left in limbo.

HB 4305 authorizes the distribution of motor
fuel tax (MFT) receipts to local governments. These funds are vitally important
to municipalities and townships for local road projects and public safety.
House Republicans successfully persuaded the Governor to join us in our support
for providing this essential funding for MFT, 9-1-1 services and additional
public safety funds.

After reaching an agreement to pass HB 4305, the legislation was
overwhelming approved by the House on November 10. However, Speaker Madigan
used his draconian House Rules to put a hold on forwarding the bill to the
Senate, with Majority Leader Currie filing a motion to reconsider the vote.
This parliamentary hold means MFT receipts and 9-1-1 funds will not be
distributed until the Speaker removes his blockage and the bill can be passed
by the Senate.

·Governor and legislative leaders prepare
for budget meeting on Nov. 18. No firm progress was made
this week on the passage of a constitutional balanced budget to meet the
overall fiscal needs of the State of Illinois and its citizens. However, the House Republicans were actively
engaged this week in preparation for scheduled face-to-face budget talks to
take place in Chicago on November 18.

Business/Labor – Unemployment Insurance

·Governor Rauner, General Assembly
reach agreement on reforms to Illinois’ unemployment insurance law.
This important statute, which will be amended by HB 1285 and/or SB 1941, covers the procedures that take
place when a worker is laid off or otherwise subjected to no-fault
unemployment. Many of the benefits
created by the Illinois unemployment insurance (UI) statute were scheduled to
sunset at the end of 2015, creating an incentive for Illinois business and
labor to come to the negotiating table.
Away from press scrutiny, and meeting under the guidance of a team
headed by Rauner cabinet member Jeff Mays, longtime advocates for both sides
described some of their concerns with current law. Relief for some of these concerns was
contained in the agreed language of this week’s legislation. Governor Rauner’s announcement that an agreement had been reached was made on Monday,
November 9. Key members of the General
Assembly participated in the meetings on behalf of both political parties and
all four caucuses.

In Illinois, most people in this position are granted the right to
receive unemployment insurance (UI) for up to 26 weeks in any one-year period
after they are laid off. UI payments
are overseen by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which provided staff support for the
agreement. Under an important provision
of the agreement, the new UI law will explicitly protect the interests of
employers that terminate an employee who has demonstrated grossly negligent
conduct and thereby engaged self or co-workers, or damaged an employer’s
property. Under the revised UI law, these
individuals will not be eligible to receive UI payments. There is an appeal process that provides
administrative review, upon separation, to former workers who believe they were
improperly treated.

In a key facet of the agreement, recently separated workers who
are also eligible for Social Security will now be eligible to both collect
Social Security and receive a full Illinois UI benefit. Under current Illinois law, Social Security
recipients could only receive UI half-benefits.
Moving to full UI benefits will lead to an addition $25 million/year
being paid to Illinois senior citizens who have suffered layoffs.

HB 1285, with the UI amendment attached, unanimously passed the
Senate on November 10 and is expected to be passed by the House when it returns
on December 2.

Medical Cannabis

·Medical cannabis program undergoes
first week of operation. Dispensaries were authorized to begin sale of
small quantities of medical cannabis on Monday, November 9.

Under Illinois’ medical marijuana program, small quantities of
cannabis are grown under highly secure conditions inside the walls of permitted
Illinois cultivation centers. The
substance is then transported to limited-access dispensaries and offered for
sale to persons with medical cannabis cards.
The Department of Public Health (DPH), which is responsible for
scrutinizing applications from prospective patients, has approved the issuance
of approximately 3,300 cannabis cards to approved patients. Possession and display of a card will be
required to enter a dispensary and to purchase the substance. The DPH operates a website with
introductory information on how a potential patient can gather the information
necessary to submit a valid card application.

Approved patients will be allowed to buy up to 2.5 ounces of
marijuana every two weeks. These
rationed quantities will be dispensed by five dispensaries that are stocked
with inventory this week. The currently
approved, supplied dispensaries are located in the Chicago suburbs of
Addison and Mundelein, and the Downstate municipalities of Canton, Marion and
Quincy. The Illinois medical cannabis program
is authorized to expand up to an upper limit of 18 cultivation centers and 60
dispensaries. The dispensaries must be
located within prescribed geographical areas throughout Illinois. Medical cannabis is dispensed in Illinois
under the terms of the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis
Pilot Program Act,
enacted by the Illinois General Assembly in 2013.

Veterans – Illinois Jobs

·Easter Seals leads private-sector push
to improve jobless numbers for Illinois veterans.
Nationwide statistics show that post-9/11 U.S. veterans have a higher
unemployment rate than nonveterans who are also members of the nationwide labor
force. Numbers like these weigh even
more heavily in Illinois, which has a jobless rate (currently 5.4%, as of
September 2015) that is higher than the nationwide rate. Issues facing jobless veterans were discussed by WLS-TV/Channel 7
and Easter Seals on Sunday, November 8.

Autumn in Illinois

·U.S. Dept. of Agriculture reports fall
soybean harvest numbers; Illinois takes #1 position again.
The USDA reported this week that American farmers are expected to bring
in a record soybean crop for 2015. The bean harvest, much of which is used for
animal feed and soybean oil, is expected to total 3.98 billion bushels. More than 550 million of these bushels will
have been cut and harvested in Illinois, which will once again be the nation’s
#1 soybean producing state. The nation’s
third-largest corn crop ever counted, 13.7 billion bushels, will further swell
Midwestern grain elevators and harvest bins.
At least 93% of both crops had been harvested nationwide as of this
week.

·November is Winter Weather
Preparedness Month. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, acting in cooperation with the
National Weather Service, is highlighting winter preparedness activities for homeowners and motorists
throughout November. Useful items
include a flashlight with spare, powered batteries; a first-aid kit; and
nonperishable food and water. A
checklist of recommended items for home and car can be found at Ready Illinois.

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